July Newsletter
Hello from Japan! I’m currently stranded in Okinawa as we weather the storm from the violent typhoon (Cat 4 hurricane). We were supposed to leave yesterday for Taiwan but our flight was canceled and we are rebooked for Friday. Wish us luck! More on my travels in the last section of the newsletter!
Thank you for subscribing to my monthly newsletter that highlights my recently published articles, upcoming calls for sources, and a peek into my travels. If you’d like to support my work, tips are appreciated via Venmo, CashApp, and PayPal. Alternatively, you can subscribe to the paid version of this newsletter for $9.99 a month. If you’d like, buy me a tea here as a token of appreciation.
If you’d like to work with me, I offer consultations where I workshop pitches and allow writers to pick my brain about the industry: LolaAnnMendez.com/Consultation
In July, I wrote four articles. All were assignments. I wrote about 2,000 words.
I sent 41 pitches this month—seven were commissioned, two are being considered, 12 were rejected, and 20 are pending a response.
My portfolio can be viewed at any time at LolaAnnMendez.com. In July, I had four articles published. I have upcoming pieces in new-to-me publications including Travel+Leisure India & South Asia, Wanderlust, Wussy, Naïra, and Adventure.
I always post my calls for sources on Twitter.com/LolaAnnaMendez. Newsletter subscribers are privy to the first look at my current work. PR folks (and individuals, when relevant) are welcome to send pitches for the stories on which I’m currently working.
For PR folks looking to connect with writers, I recommend the PressHook online platform.
As of now, for August, I’m working on the following articles but I’m not looking for sources:
A travel guide to Montevideo for TripAdvisor
Two separate profiles on Latina executives
My experience trying a sensory deprivation tank
My experience being a travel journalist with claustrophobia
A profile on an LGBTQ+ travel influencer
I started off July with less than a week at home in Puerto Vallarta, MX before heading off for two months of personal travel with my boyfriend (aka a semi-vacation as I’m still pitching and writing.) We started off in Los Angeles and spent time with my cousin and sister and now we’ve been in Japan for three weeks. This is a trip I’d been dreaming of my entire life and it’s been magical—from spending the night in a Buddhist temple to attending a tea ceremony. It's fair to say I love Japan.
Once the typhoon allows, we’ll be off to Taiwan and South Korea. Travel tips are very welcome as it’s the first time for both of us in these countries.